In this issue we consider the heritage and legacy of T'ien Hsia Monthly 天下月刊, an English-language publication edited by Shanghai-based writers, educators and thinkers from 1935.

1949-2009: Sixty Years Out of Range
A translated oral history by Sang Ye from a "a Beijing gourmand and traditional opera expert" who managed to skip the Cultural Revolution by staying at home locked up with his books.

The Future in the Present
Andrea Cavazzuti describes making a film about the 50th anniversary parade in Beijing in 1999 (with video).

In light of the continued unsettled ethnic affairs of the People's Republic of China, [this] essay published nearly seventy five years ago offers some interesting perspectives and insights. Many of the issues related to immigration, nomadic lifestyles and environmental degradation which feature so prominently today were already in clear evidence during the middle years of the Republic of China.